My AIESEC exchange story and why you should volunteer with AIESEC

The first time I joined AIESEC, I was the shyest person I have ever met. During the interview conducted by five amazing young people leading AIESEC at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology(JKUAT), I almost broke down at one point because I was so scared and the panel had to request me to be more audible multiple times.

By that time I did not know anything about AIESEC. The selling point my friend used to get me to join was just how cheap it would be to travel for a long period of time and I was sold. Traveling on a budget while doing volunteer work that I can add to my CV and LinkedIn!! Sign me up, please! That was March 2019, when I joined AIESEC. Over my almost four-year journey, I have organized events, led teams, made friends all over the world, and ignited leadership in others as I have had it ignited in me.

Anyway, this isn't a recap of my entire AIESEC journey, this is a focus on my exchange experience in Rwanda. I left for Rwanda on 2nd October 2019 which I remember was a Tuesday. I had just completed my required internship for school and since I had a month left to kill, I decided to squeeze in some volunteer work. Don't let the previous statement fool you into thinking that the travel plan was on a whim😂😂. It wasn't. I began planning for the trip at the end of March immediately after joining AIESEC.

One thing about me is that I plan, A LOT, and for every single detail, that's within my power to plan. By this time I was just completing my second year of school and the only money I had was from my parents' allowance. I've always been good with money. On top of that, my parents on account of my many extra-curricular activities since I was 8, have always had the policy of supporting and investing in what I do if I show initiative and above all, maintain my grades in school.

That year, in order to go for exchange, I saved my own approval fee(This is an administrative fee paid to AIESEC in your country, which is a requirement for your application processing.), and for the two and a half months of going for my internship, I walked to and fro, my home to Kitengela town which is a forty-five-minute walk so my transport to work was reduced. I know, crazy huh?! But like I said, my parents invest when they see effort and commitment. And commit they decided to do because fast forward to 2nd October when I boarded Modern Coast at River road and set out on my 24-hour journey to Kigali. Mind you I had never left the country, and here I was doing it alone. I was proud of myself but it took a lot of willpower not to ask my mom to come with me.

I did not even have a passport but by then getting the East African pass was free. Nowadays you need to download it on the e-citizen portal and print it out before you travel. The best thing about traveling with AIESEC is that you travel with friends waiting for you on the other side. Immediately I got to Kigali, antsy from lack of sleep because I thought we'd get to my destination and I wouldn't know, someone from AIESEC in Rwanda picked me up, helped me exchange money, and got me on the next bus to Huye, which would become my home for the next 7 weeks. If you've heard about the kindness of the people in Rwanda, this is very true. I saw this kindness from a lady that held my hand and ensured I got a seat on the bus because I clearly seemed like a foreigner, from the motor vehicle riders who looked for someone who could speak English just so they would get me back to my friends when I got lost, from the friendly neighbors who treated me like family and from the young people at Huye Youth center where I volunteered who were an amazing bunch to teach and learn with.

Here are a few reasons why you should volunteer with AIESEC today:

1. It is a very cheap option for traveling. When you volunteer with AIESEC, members of AIESEC from the country you are visiting host you for a fee which may vary from 100USD- 200USD for the six weeks that you will be in the country. What the accommodation covers vary from project to project so make sure you understand what the amount will cover from the person that will be managing your application process before you travel.
2. You get to make lifelong friends. This is not just with the members of AIESEC in the country that you are visiting but also with other volunteers that you will meet during your stay.
3. Exploring the country will be easier because, at AIESEC, quality experience for volunteers is something we hold very dear. Plus, you get to visit cool spots by virtue of having multiple tour guides (aka AIESEC members😂)
4. You will have the opportunity to volunteer for a project aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, become more self-aware, build leadership skills and contribute toward making the world a better place.

Being a young person with the urge to make a difference can be inspiring but also confusing as you do not know where to begin. I'm not promising that AIESEC is the solution or that it'll turn out to be what you are looking for; I do however promise that it will be worth a try.

PS: If you don't have the capacity to travel for AIESEC volunteer work, look for an AIESEC community near you and volunteer with them, to help curate fulfilling experiences for other volunteers. I have volunteered both abroad and within the AIESEC community at my university and the experience has been worth every minute. I can't wait to complete school, get a job, and use up my leave days just volunteering with AIESEC. For now, however, I am in charge of ensuring that the young people of AIESEC in Uganda get quality experiences. Working in an HR-based role with a technical background(I'm completing my Electrical and Electronics Engineering degree right now), has been and still is quite interesting. I will write an article on how that has been next year(1st August 2023), once my term comes to an end. I wonder how life will be by then, what will have changed? I'm already so excited to write that article.

I read somewhere that "The world is a book and those that don't travel only read half the book". I hope this article will give you even the slightest inclination to travel and/or volunteer abroad.

Auf wiedersehen!

Here is my exchange report written in 2019